Unloading mechanism for concrete block molding machines



p 1952 c. w. cLAYToR ETAL 2,612,276

UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE BLOCK MOLDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5,1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventors Carl W Clayfor' John W. Hendricks 6 I v2' By MW ZYM L S p 0, 1952 c. w. CLAYTOR ETAL 2,612,276

UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE BLOCK MOLDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5.1947 4 Shets-Sheet 2 47 B Fig.4. a 42 4a 3 2 4/ I Inventors] Carl M.Clay/or 45 John W. Hendricks By W /ffzm Sept. 30, 1952 c. w. CLAYTOR ETAL UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE BLOCK MOLDING MACHINES 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 5, 1947 Inventors ll Carl M. G/ayiar John WHendricks By Q2.

p 1952 c. w. CLAYTOR ET AL 7 UNLOADING MECHANISM FOR CONCRETE BLOCKMOLDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 194'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 9.

Fig. '10. Q

I 420 76 'i g.'-' 73 75 72 D ,2 I. 63 a -I| B.

Inventors Carl W; Clayfor John W. Hendricks QM WWW EMz L Patented Sept.30, 1952 "UNLOADING 'MECHANISMFOR .coNcnn'rnf BLOCK MOLDING MACHINES can.WnGlaytor and John iwinpnaricks;

.fflartford lll.

. Application August'5, 1 47;:Serla1 .3.Clai ms.

I 1 179111" invention-relates .to improvements-inmachines for moldingconcrete blocks; such as .;are used:for building purposes.

,iAn ;obiect .is -;to provide in a. concrete .block moldingmachinenimproved means jforstripping the;mold'.box;and unloading themolded blocks from :the. machine so as :to expedite vproductionandreduce:manualzlabor.

@Anotherobjecti is totprovidea machine adapted forrthe purpose :above,set forth whichis safe, ea;sy; :toa.operaterwill.notreadily get out of.order through wear, :and. -:is "comparatively inexpensivetoemanufaeture and, use.

Other and. subordinate objects, also comprehended by .our invention;together with the precise :nature .of our improvements will .be readilyunderstood when the "succeedinggdescription and claims are read.withreference to the :drawings' accompanying azandlforming part of thisspecification. v i

2111 the said drawings: v .Figure.=l isaview inside elevation of ourimproved "machine in a preferred embodiment thereof; I V

Figure ,2 is a :similar View with the stripping mechanism operated tostrip the mold :box, and the "ImIOading-Jmechani m positioned *forloading oframolded block thereon; y .1

;-Figure :13yis *asview iin verticallongitudinalasection drawnxtmalarger 186316 and showing the mold {:box packed :and the ;unloadingmechanism operated ,to. revolve "the :turntable clear ;of :the moldtbox; 1 l

:Eigure 4iis1a-1view in horizontal:asectionitaken onr'the:1ine';4; lvofiEigure -3; V

Figure 5.1513, viewcin. front elevation-drawn to:;the same'ascale asFigure 3;, 1 vliligure 6 is a'view inside-elevation of the-wobblerwheel. 'rwit'hsthe zshaft thereof shown t I v .iEigure 7 isra =viewrintransverse section taken on thezline ;1;- cfr'Eigure fi;

1:1?igure skis a fragmentary VIBWliIl' :pIaniIlustrating ithe unloadingvmechanismv with theztin'ntable f-IBVOlVfid 1 into .loading position;eandiithe parts drawrrlto arfurtherenlargedxscaleg" EEig'ureiBHsiatfragmentary View inupl'an sshowing thezunloa'dingi mechanism:operatedi'to revolvetthe turntable'i'ntomnloading position;

- Figure 210:,i-s ai-viewzin transverse ss'ecti'on taken:onzthez'linel'0 I10;:of.igure 9;; and.

Figure i 11.15; a. 1 detail 'view. .in section :taken'I-ion of. Eigure.8 iandxdrawn to .a larger;

the line TH.-

scaler.

:uReferring'e tOtZthEildTfiWifiES :by; :numerals; sour.

(Cl.214-.-i1)

improved "molding- ;macli'ine, in "the ."illustrated, preferredembodiment thereon-comprises a skeletonbase frame I"of:general1yrectangular-form withf-ront and rear pairsof porher legs- 2, 3;

7 upper andlow'er pairs "O'fILSid'B railsA, 5,-and-front andL-rear crossbars 6, '1', connecting the lower ends :of the frontand rear pairs, oflegs" 12, '33. Preferably theba'se frame I as"regards theflpartsdescribed :is: formed .of angle 5 iron. The ifront pairsrof legs/2extend upwardlyabove the-:upper pair. zof aside rails 24 andarm-connected -'at. ;the' upper endsxithereofzby-a ..:cross :plateB. Aiplatform 9 1 is :supportedstby 'tthe upper pairi of-is'ide rai1s :14 atithe rear ends thereof. A pairro'fzangle iron bars arisefromztheupper-pairr of side T311524, intermediater. thefplatform 9 l andthe front pairof legs .i2," an'd'.form"with the por'tionsrof lthevfrontpair of legs '12 extending above '-;the side, rails 2:4, frontsand" rearamounting posts :I l l 2 fat-athercor n'ersuof a mold box i l 3:IIOWftOJbG described;

The-mold box :13 is of rectangular form and openat its'itopan'd bottom,-with (front an'drear sidesfill, 1-5 'andends lifi. Aipair'of angle-ironbrace bars I 1 cextend:along the lower. edges fofitthe sides [4, l 5,'onthe outside thereof, and to, which are suitably attached cross" bars18 extending across theJbott'om of *the :moldbox I-3 and supportingcores l 9 extending upwardly therefrom into said mold box; A -platen 29is removabl y fitted 'in 'the mold box [3 *to rest on the crossbars:I8.'-

"-Th'e' wmoldr box lx'ifis -suspende'd rony-vibratory movement betweenthe front and rear' p airsiof posts-1 T2 by the following means. ,A pair='0f angle iron :guide bars 2| extend horizontally along the ends IB of"th'e mold"box 1'3 :a'dj acent the upper edges of said -ends andproject' rearwardly I ofsaid b'oxa distance suitable for a' purposepresently *seen. A I cross bar 22 connects the front ends of the guidebars 2l', and'in the rear' of' the moldbox I'3'='a"bed plate 23 connectssaid bars Zlfor a, purposepre'sentlyseen; The upper' si'd'e edges of"the moldlbox' I13 are fitted between' and suitably secure'd' -tothecross bar 22 and" the bed plate 2 3. "End"upperedgefianges 2 4 onthe-mold b'ox l3 i are suitably 'securedto :-the angle iron guide bars-2I "The bed plate 1 23and the top=of the mold-box *13: form "with theangle iron-guide bars. 2 l horizontal' guideways 25 above the moldbox l3for apurpose to be explained. Coil springs 26 at :theffrontiof rthermoldbox l'3,' adjacentcop posite.*endsilthereof; .and which. are interposedbetween the cross sbarz sand the; angle brackets 21 on .the 'front pa'ir10f l posts :lfl and a similar springs :28. at am :rea'r; of nsai'd boxrsinterpo's'ed 7 between the angle iron guide bars 2| and angle brackets29 on the pair of rear posts l2 yieldingly support the mold box l3,together with the angle iron guide bars 2| and the bar 22 and bed plate23 so that these parts may vibrate vertically. Guide bolts 30 slidablydepend from the cross bar 20 and said guide bars 2| through the springs26, 28 a'nd'angle' brackets 21, 29 and'guide the mold box l3 forvertical vibratory movement.

A hopper 3| for feeding cement, or concrete, mix into the mold box |3 isslidably mounted in the guideways 25 by means of side angle iron bars 32suitably secured to the bottom sideedges' of said hopper. The hopper 3|is slidable forwardly from a retracted position to an advanced dumpingposition in which the bottom of the same registers with the top of themold box I3. In the retracted position of said hopper 3|, the bottomthereof is closed by the bed plate 23.

Means are provided for, advancing and retracting the-hopper 3comprisingan upstanding hand 18V3I533 on one end of a rock shaft 34extending across the frame and journaled in bearings 35 on ,the, pair ofupper side rails 4 intermediate the preferably. comprisesa'substantially rectangular,

vertically movable,xpresser plate 40 extending across theJfront end ofthe frame I between the upper and lower pairspf side rails 4, 5, withends slidably' mounted, by bearings 4|, on vertical guide rods 42suitably fixed at the ends thereof in the upper and lower side rai1sj4,5 at opposite sides 'of the frame Corner thrust rods 43 extend upwardlyfrom the presser plate 4|] and are slid'ablein guide sleeves 44 ontheupper side rails: 4 "so that thezupper ends of said rods areada-pted tobe thrust against the bottom of the platen 20, at thecorners thereof,when said presser plate 40 is moved upwardly from a nor-V mally-loweredposition. For moving the presser plate 4,0:upward1yran upstanding handlever 45 isipro'videdon one end of a rock shaft 46 extend-v ing acrossthefrontlegsZand journaled' in bearings 47 thereon. A pair of crankarms:48 extend laterally from said'rockshaft 46, beneath said plate,adjacent opposite ends of said plate. 1

Pairs of vertical links 49'with corresponding ends pivoted, asat-50,--to the crank arms 48, and the other ends thereof pivoted, as at5|, to bottom cross bars 52-- on said plate 40 connect said crank arms'48 to theypresserplate=46 so that by rocking' of-the rock-shaft 46'inopposite directions,

said presser plate maybe-raised and lowered to correspondingly move thethrust rods 43.

As will-be'clear from the foregoing, the mold box I3 and thehop'per 3|are mounted by the springs 23, 28 for vibration vertically in unison andthe described means f'oradvancing and re-' tracting the hopper 3| isadapted for'compensating .movement to permit I .such vibration of saidbox and hopper, since. the axes of movement of -the rock shaft 34;crankarms 36 and links 31 aretransverseto the diitectiongofvibration.

-Forvibrating 'the 'moldtbox |3:and hopper 3|,

an electric motor 53, adapted for operation and control in any suitablemanner, is suitably fixed on the platform 9 with its armature shaft 54extending forwardly in the longitudinal center of the frame I below thebed plate 23 and operatively connected by a universal joint 55 to amotion transmitting shaft 56 similarly connected, by a seconduniversal-joint]51,"to the rear end of a driven shaft 58 extendinglongitudinally of the frame I beneath the bed plat'e'23 and journaled ina pair of bearings 59 extending across the bottom edges of a pair ofchannel iron sections 6|] depending from and suitably fixed to the bedplate 23 upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the hopper 3|and the transverse center of the mold box 3. A counterweighted Wobblerwheel 6| is suitably fixed on the driven shaft 58 to rotate between thebeam sections 60 and the pair of bearings 59.

At the front of the frame I, mechanism is provided for unloading amolded blockB after'the mold box |3 has been stripped thereof. .Thismechanism comprises, as its basicelement, an upright shaft 62 with aright angled upper end crank arm 63, and which is journaled in uprightposition in a bearing sleeve 64 at one front corner of the frame I andupstanding from a lateral arm 65 on said frame I through which saidshaft 62 depends and rests upon a bearing plate 66 supported by alateral arm 61 also on said frame I, the arrangement being suchthat'the'shaft 62 is rotatable in said sleeve 64 to permit the crank arm63 to be revolved horizontally. An elongated, rectangular turntable 68'rotatably mounted on the crank arm'63' by means of a sleeve- 69 suitablyconfined on said crank arm against endwise movement thereon and which'extends along the turntable 68' in the long'itutinal center of the sameand is suitably fixed thereto.wBlock' supporting fingers 10 extend, atsubstantially right angles, from one andfthe same side faceof theturntable 68 and along opposite side edges of the same, said series offingers 10 being adapted to straddle the platen 20 and a molded block Bthereon'elevated above the mold box |3 by the described strippermechanism.

The crank arm 63 is adapted to be revolved in one direction manuallyinto overlying, substantially parallel relation, to the front edge ofthe mold box |3 to'revolve the turntable'68 andthe fingers 10 into aloading position, and said crank arm is also revoluble from the positionde-' scribed through an angle of substantially'l'lo" to revolve saidturntable 68 and fingers 10 into unloading position in which said crankarm and turntable extend from one side ofthe frame' I for convenientunloading of a block In either of these two positions, the turntable 68is disposed in a vertical plane with the fingers l0 disposedhorizontally and rearwardly of the same,: and gearing is providedfor-causing said turntable 68 to rotate about said crank arm 63 throughan angle of while the same is being swung, or revolved, from loading tounloading position sofas to invert said turntable and the fingers 10'for a purpose to be seen. The gearing,vv above mentioned, comprises arelatively large mutilated bevel gearll fixed on the. upper end of thebearing sleeve 64 concentrically thereof, and a relatively smallermutilated bevel gear 12 fast on one end of the :bearing 'sleeve*69 :and*adapted to mesh with.v the fixed: gear H 'The fixed gear H comprises araised toothed sector 13, a fiat, lower sector 14 at one end of saidsector 13, and a raisedbeveled; plain sectori li-at the tel- 1h erase-1ywhen the bevel gear 12 rides off the adfiacent' er'idof the toothedsector: 13 and thereby lock the sleevefii) and turntable682andflngersrlllf against ro'tatior'r on the crank arm 63.

The use and operation of the machine will now be described...,,Thehoppe1; 3 i being filled and the turntable-68clear of the' -mold box I3,

fore instancee. as. shown: in..Figuresi:li and. 3,-said hopper 3| isadvanced by operationroi; therhopner;

advancing;ands-retracting rnechanism to position said h pperoverthe'moldbox "l3'a'nd thereby durnpthe contents of said h'opperintosaid' mold 'In this operation, the hand lever;33 is swung counterclockwise, as viewed in Figures 1? ma s,- to correspondinglyrock therock shaft 314. and; "swing thecrank arms 36 counter clockwise;thus"causing the -linksi1'to'slide the hopper 31f iorwardly in" theguideways 25. After the mold box- |3 has thus been filled, the hopper-3|is EreItra-ctedj through swinging of the hand lever 33' clockwise, withresulting Operation of the rock shaft 34, crank arms 36 and links 31, ina manner which will be understood. Retraction of the hopper 3| scrapesthe contents of the mold box |3 level with the top of said box andinitially packs the same. The hopper 3| may now be filled if desired.

After the mold box |3 has bee i and my: 1

hopper 3| retracted, the motor 53 may be starte,

which causes the Wobbler wheel 68 to rotate at a high rate of speed,thereby vibrating the mold box I3 and the hopper 3| on the springs 26,28 to pack the contents thereof. Thus, material in the hopper 3| may bedensely packed in the hopper before being loaded into the mold box |3for repacking.

When the contents of the mold box I3 has been sufficiently packed, themotor 53' may be stopped to stop further vibration of the mold box I3and hopper 3|, and the described stripper 1 mechanism operated, afterthe contents of the mold box l3 has been set to form the block B.

.In operating the stripper mechanism, the hand lever is swungcounter-clockwise from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown inFigure 2. This rocks the rock shaft 46 counter-clockwise tocorrespondingly swing the crank arms 48 which, through the links 49,move the presser plate upwardly on the guide rods 42 thereby thrustingthe thrust rods 43 against the bottom of the platen 20 until said rodshave stripped the mold box l3 by raising said platen 20 with the moldedblock B thereon slightly above the top of said mold box. The hand lever43 is held to hold the platen 20 in this raised position with the moldedblock 13 elevated thereby, preparatory to operating the unloadingmechanism.

With the mold box |3 stripped, as above set forth, the describedunloading mechanism is operated as follows: The crank arm 63 isrevolved, counter-clockwise as viewed in Figures 8 and 9, to locate thesame substantially alongside and parallel with the front edge of themold box l3, as shown for instance in Figures 2 and B. In this operationof said crank arm 63, the bevel gear I2 is first rotated, by meshingwith the toothed sector 13, to rotate the sleeve 69 and thereby rotatethe turntable 68 and fingers 10 until said turntable is vertical and thefingers 10 horizontal and facing the mold box l3. At

thislpointltheilbievel gear? 12 Erldesidft the tontl'md:

sector T33 and: revolves: the .lugr 13 into fiat; ems gagementwith thelower fiat secton;"|4;:.;whereby: th turntable: 68' and fingers .x 0:are I lockedriin a; position .for' loading..- further; revolving:ofgsaid: crank arm;63xin.the same directionpositions the; fingers: 10.;into. straddling relation: to; the: platen,

. 20;:and ,tlieblock B as'shownin Figure z. At:

this point; th'ezdescribed'stripper mechanism may: be" operated:reverselyr in amanneivwhich .will be; clear,. to; lower the. platen 2.0l with: the block Ba thereon onto the lowermostfing'ersflfl,thLISJOadT-Q. ing: therblockvB :onto the." turntable; as shown forinstance; in: Figure. 10'; An'rextra" platen: 111

-; may thenzbe-gplacedi'on. top. of the block Bl be' tween; thesameandthe. uppermost :fin'gersa- I50 Thei'crank arm. 63 may "next:berevolved1cl0ck:-. wise, asviewed-in- Figures 8 and 9', through anangle; of?"substantially- 170?" and. into substantially the positionshown in Figure, 9;. Such revolving oft'said crank arm 63 causes.thebevel' gear]! to: mesh with the toothed sector I3 whereby. thesleeve: 59 is rotated about said: crank arm Bit-so as to rotate and:invert the turntable 68.-'and".

-; fingers'lll, alsothe platens-.29, and: l'L-and block B; so that. said.block. rests. on .theextra platen H; and the. platen. 20-:belongih'g inthezmold "box 3 may be removed for use again in said mold box As theturntable 68 and fingers 10, together wtih the platens 20, TI, and theblock B are thus inverted, the crank arm 11 is brought to rest byengagement of the teeth of the bevel gear l2 with the plain bevel sector15 and rotation of the sleeve I9 is stopped so as to hold the turntable68, fingers T0, platen 11 and block B in inverted position at one sideof the frame I, in which position the platen 11 with the block B thereonmay be removed from the then lowermost fingers 10 for disposal asdesired.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufilce to impart a clearunderstanding of our invention, Without further explanation.

' Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible ofmodification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right isherein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of theappended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

i. In a concrete block machine of the class operative for elevating amolded block on a platen out of and above a mold, unloading mechanism'for said block and platen comprising a horizontal arm pivotally mountedon the machine for revolving about a vertical axis, a turntable carriedby said arm for revolving thereby into a loading position opposite saidplaten and mold and into an unloading position, means on said turntablefor straddling said block and platen to pick up the same when theturntabl is revolved into loading position, said turntable beingrotatable on said arm to invert said block and platen and position theplaten uppermost, and drive means for rotating said turntable renderedoperative by revolving said turntable from loading to unloading positioncomprising mutilated gearing idling during initial revolving of saidturntable toward unloading position.

, arm pivotally mounted on the machine tor-res volving about a verticalaxis, a turntable carried by said arm for revolving thereby intqaloading.

, v7 position oppositesa'id'platen and mold and into an unloading'position, means on said turntable for straddling's'aid block and platento pick up position comprising mutilated gears coacting to lock'saidturntable against rotation in said unloading position thereof.

3..In a concrete block machine of the class operative for elevating amolded block on a platen out of and above a mold. unloading mechanismfor said block and platen comprising a horizontal arm pivotally mountedon the machine for revolving about a vertical axis, a turntable carriedby said arm for revolving thereby into a loading position opposite saidplaten and mold and into an unloading position, means on said turntablefor straddling said block and platen to pick up the same when theturntable is revolved into loading position, said turntable beingrotatable on said armt'o invert said block and platen and position theplaten uppermost, and drive means for rotating said turntable renderedoperative by revolving said turntable from loading to unload ingposition comprising a pair of mutilated gears coactlng to lock saidturntable against rotation.-

in the loading and unloading positions thereof; one of said gears havinga part slidably engaging and revolving on the other to lock saidtumtable against rotation in the loading position of said turntable.

REFERENCE 8 CITED UNITED'STATES PATENTS v;

Date

Number Name 2,054,253 'Horsch Sept. 15, 1936 2,069,880 Gelbman et al.Feb. 9,1937 2,193,879 Muenzer Mar. 19, 1940 2,231,064 Fearn Feb. 11,1,941 2,303,884 Krehbielet al. Dec. 1, 1942. 2,389,673 Lofdahl r Nov.27, 1945- 2,396,999 George Mar. 19,- 1946. 2,528,931 White Nov. 7, 1950-2,529,066

Annas Nov. 7, i950 CARL W. CLAYTOR.- I I JOHN- w. nammrcxs.

